Students will investigate how plastic reaches and moves through ocean ecosystems, connect with Heal the Bay’s community work, and identify an initial engineering response to the project’s essential question.

Students will investigate how currents and human actions affect ocean plastic, learn from a community partner, define a measurable design problem, generate three distinct concepts, and use evidence and peer critique to submit a team proposal before building.

Students will calibrate safe testing procedures, build and test an ocean-plastic solution, exchange evidence-based peer feedback, and complete a targeted revision supported by before-and-after data.

Students will present and defend their tested ocean-plastic solutions to an authentic audience, gather feedback, and reflect on how engineering and community action can protect ocean ecosystems.